The present invention relates generally to remote care and monitoring and, more particularly, to a system and method for remote care and monitoring of the user of a mobile device, such as a smartphone, and for simplifying use of the mobile device by the user.
This invention provides a unique software solution and method for facilitating the use of a mobile smartphone device while also enabling authorized users (e.g. care providers, concerned family members) to remotely interact with the mobile user, provide them medical care information, daily care instruction, alerts and reminders, general assistance, immediately connect to the mobile user's phone without them answering, provide the authorized users remote mobile phone control and tracking functions as well as remotely updating and maintaining the mobile user's mobile device.
Mobile phones historically developed for use by elderly, children or special needs groups have consisted of traditional push button cell phones modified in certain ways—via some combination of a simplified digital menu, amplified speaker, enlarged and/or paired down buttons and sometimes the addition of an urgent call and/or specialized operator button. The use of GPS or other locating device technologies has also been incorporated into some of these traditional phones for informational or emergency location purposes.
These traditional mobile phones, however, have not had the capabilities to facilitate a higher level of interaction between a mobile user and their care provider(s). While some have had features for remotely updating contact information, sending text messages or having an operator assist with dialing, there are many features and capabilities that these telephones do not have. For example, these traditional mobile phones do not have the following capabilities:                a. Allow for remotely initiating and creating a live phone (cellular) and/or Internet connection to a primary mobile phone where the primary mobile phone user does not actively answer the phone, click any button, or initiate any other kind of activity in order to do the following:                    i. Remotely enable the mobile phone's speakerphone, turn up the speaker volume and turn on the microphone in order to hear and speak with whoever or whatever is near the mobile phone itself from a secure Internet application and/or a secondary phone (land or mobile).            ii. Remotely turn on the mobile phone's camera, automatically snap pictures and/or videos, and send them via cellular network and/or Internet using Internet upload, email or text methods to an authorized Internet site and/or specified mobile phone(s).            iii. Remotely turn on the mobile phone's video conferencing and connect over cellular network or Internet with an authorized user via an Internet portal or specified secondary mobile phone(s).            iv. Remotely turn on the mobile phone's location capabilities (GPS and cellular-network-based location positioning) and send those coordinates via Internet and/or cellular network using Internet upload, email or text methods to an authorized Internet site and/or specified mobile phone(s).                        b. Periodically and/or through a series of predetermined times and/or via a pre-determined trigger(s) (such as those described in the instant application) automatically turn on the mobile phone's location positioning features (e.g., such as GPS, multilateration of radio signals, and/or other mobile positioning technologies) if location positioning features are off, then log the phone's location position along with a date/time stamp, possibly automatically snap picture(s) and/or video(s) (where it could be accessed on the phone) and send all that data/information via Internet or cellular connection to another user via an Internet site, email or text.        c. Automatically send a notification (call, electronic and/or otherwise) to 911, an urgent call center and/or authorized care providers and/or an Internet site if the phone is dropped, has not been moved or moved from a geographical location in a predetermined time, if the mobile user has not “checked in” by pressing a special button on the phone, by not satisfactorily answering a wellness check or mobile medical survey on the mobile phone and/or by pressing a button on a separate wireless device linked/connected with that mobile phone.        d. Automatically notify authorized users (care providers) and/or Internet site if calls are made to a predetermined list of phone number(s). For example, automatically notify (via call, electronic message or otherwise) when the mobile user's doctors, nurses, therapists, etc. are called—and then log and/or send that information with date/time stamp via Internet and/or cellular network using email, SMS, Internet upload or other electronic connectivity.        e. Automatically third party conference in pre-determined authorized user(s)/care provider(s) when calls are made to specific, predetermined phone number(s) using telephonic and/or Internet connectivity.        f. Connect wirelessly to a Personal Emergency Response System.        g. Automatically call the mobile user and/or create specialized rings/and or audio notification for when the phone battery is low and requires plugging in and/or if there is no cellular signal and also automatically notify pre-determined authorized user(s) and/or Internet site of the low battery.        h. Maintain mobile user's medical profile and/or other key care information on the phone for use by physicians, nurses, therapists, emergency personnel or other medical providers. This information can be accessed and maintained locally on the phone and/or remotely via a cellular network, Internet or other electronic remote connection.        i. Maintain an automated medication alarm & schedule that can be updated remotely by an authorized user/care provider via electronic connection.        j. Allow the user to request medication refills via the mobile device that automatically send a request to the user's corresponding physician.        k. Allow an authorized user/care provider to locally and remotely maintain the mobile user's phone calendar/alarm with appointment information, date & times.        l. Allow others to send the mobile user information from a file such as Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat or web file (HTML-based) or a variety of image files.        m. Allow an authorized user/care provider to create custom “quick texts” for the mobile phone that allow the mobile user to text message people/contacts/phone numbers without having to type out the text messages themselves.        n. Allow an authorized user/care provider to create custom, automated wellness checks or surveys that the user responds to once or periodically and which can have custom actions associated with particular responses and/or results based on software customization. Examples of particular automated actions by the software would be electronic notification to authorized caregivers and/or notification to urgent response center and/or 911.        o. Allow an authorized user/care provider to view the message logs of the mobile phone (such as text messages, calendar and alarm notifications, and other notifications, including those automatically created).        p. Allow an authorized user/care provider to turn on and off different functions and features on the phone remotely via Internet or their own mobile phone.        q. Create hot-button dialers for different operators, concierge service, urgent care or other service providers.        r. Create a platform by which other medical/lifestyle/other application providers can interact with the mobile phone.        s. Provide a navigational interface on the phone that interacts with the user to facilitate cellular phone navigation, including hiding and/or turning on and off certain features and buttons;        t. Allow for voice-recognition-based dialing and phone navigation.        u. Alter visual and audio notifications to align with user's needs.        v. Customize the level of sophistication/complexity of the interface itself, including menu options available, applications available on the phone, ring settings and visual settings—on the phone itself and/or remotely by an authorized person.        
The introduction of smartphones—mobile phones offering PC-like capabilities with technologies such as contextually changing touch screens, email, Internet browsing, Wi-Fi, GPS, an accelerometer, a magnetometer/compass, a graphical user interface operating system, a camera and the capability to run a variety of software applications—offer this potential. However, smartphones are generally feature-heavy and complicated to use, even with the most basic configurations. While these smartphones may have some of the technology capabilities mentioned available—such as software that provides location alerts or determines phone location—or the capabilities to provide the features mentioned above, the complexity and general feature-rich design of the smartphone has made it difficult for elderly, young children or people with special needs to adopt.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method that can provide the aforementioned functionality through smartphone technology. The present invention satisfies this need.